[Vol. 8] Chapter 120: Six Paths, Six Elements, the Cycle of Heaven and Earth
“It’s not the Human United Kingdom’s language, not the common language of the Holy Empire, and not [Veir Language] or [Enilu Language] either… Could it be a rare language from some remote tribe?”
“How could a trial set up by the Goddess use some random, uncommon language? Don’t tell me… it’s the legendary Ancient Divine Language?”
“Well… that actually might be possible. Has anyone here studied the language of the ancient gods?”
“Come on, don’t joke around. You think Divine Language is as common as cabbage? Like we can just ‘read’ it?”
The group began to talk among themselves once they noticed something strange. But clearly, no one could understand what those six symbols or the six glowing gates actually meant. Oddly enough, the Redemption Saintess, who was in charge of the trial, didn’t speak up to stop them. She simply let them keep guessing, until a soft, almost whisper-like voice spoke, with a hint of doubt, pointing toward the brightest and most sacred-looking gate.
“…I think this one means ‘Heaven’?”
The voice was very quiet, almost like the speaker was physically weak or short of breath. But since most of the people present had strong senses and abilities, it wasn’t hard for them to find where the voice came from. As they turned to look, their faces showed surprise.
Violet, who had been hiding quietly in the crowd, was also surprised.
She looked at a blind girl from the Lightborn race, who was holding an old wooden stick. It seemed that a nearby thief had helped her feel the symbol by drawing it on her palm. That’s how she figured out the meaning of the symbol on the gate.
In the Violet’s silver-blue eyes, a flicker of surprise appeared.
Interesting… she actually got it right.
The girl’s name was Elunie. And she was completely correct, the symbol on that particular gate did mean “Heaven” when translated into modern language.
But what made it special was that the symbol was written in [Ancient Niel language].
As the trial participants had guessed, [Ancient Niel language], also known as the Ancient Divine Language, is extremely rare. It’s the only language in the world that contains actual laws or rules of existence, and it's believed to have been personally created by the Primordial Light.
The [Ancient Niel language] cannot be decoded or analyzed by any normal method. It’s a language used only by gods. Those who are worthy can understand and use it naturally, without ever learning it. But anyone of lower rank, no matter how hard they try, can never grasp even the smallest part of it. It’s a kind of unfair “divine privilege.”
Back in the Azure Sky Kingdom, when Violet first saw this script on a stone tablet in a shrine on Omo Island, she could understand its meaning without anyone teaching her. That tablet had been left by a god who fought in the battle to seal the Goddess of Earth. At the time, she was deeply confused, as no one else could read it. But she didn’t yet know the language was called [Ancient Niel language] or what it meant.
There were only two possibilities for how Elunie could decipher the meaning of the [Ancient Niel language] from such a simple and vague description.
Either she is a true god, or at least a part of one, like a god’s avatar or incarnation.
Or, like Carinvega, she has an extremely close connection to a powerful divine being, so close that it’s already starting to show in her.
Very interesting… but this alone wasn’t enough to figure out her true identity. Looks like she will need to test her more, through the trial itself.
After letting the participants discuss freely for a while, just as planned, Philomena saw that the time was right. She didn’t let the curious ones keep pressing or questioning the slightly confused blind girl who was now being protected by two other girls. At just the right moment, she clapped her hands again to bring everyone’s attention back.
“Let me explain everything clearly. The words on these six gates are indeed written in the Ancient Divine Language. If we translate them into the Holy Empire's language, they mean: Heaven, Human, Asura, Underworld, Ghost, and Beasts. These represent the six cycles of all things in the world. The Six Paths of Reincarnation, one of the divine powers held by the Goddess, who gave these powers directly.”
“When the Goddess descended, the six divine lights that were cast into the Grand Church were meant for this purpose. This device you see here simply calls those powers temporarily into this world.”
“What you need to do next is walk up to each of the six gates. If you match the conditions, you’ll naturally feel a connection. Of course, it’s also possible that you may resonate with more than one gate. You’re free to choose.”
“But I must remind you, the stronger your connection with a particular gate, the higher your chance of passing the trial inside. On the other hand, if you choose one you don’t match well with, it will be much harder. So, from a logical point of view, it’s best to pick the gate you feel the strongest reaction to.”
“After entering a gate, you’ll face a trial created by the path it represents. Once you pass it, this second round of testing will be complete. That’s the rule.”
This unusual and mystical scene naturally made many people in the crowd feel confused. One of the candidates quickly raised a hand to ask a question.
“Saintess, I don’t quite understand. What exactly is this ‘resonance’ with the gates? And what if someone tries all six gates and feels nothing at all? Does that mean they’ll be disqualified? Or can they still choose a gate and try to pass it with their own strength?”
Hearing this somewhat tricky question, Philomena gave a helpless smile and shook her head. She didn’t get angry, though. Instead, she calmly explained.
“As I said, the logic behind the Six Paths is extremely deep. It involves the true laws of the world itself. This is the realm of gods. Even though I’m the Saintess, I can’t fully understand it either. But about your concern…”
“The Goddess is above all. The Six Paths she controls cover all beings. As long as you haven’t completely become a god yourself, you will always be close to at least one of the Six Paths in some way. So the situation you’re asking about is almost impossible.”
“If someone really couldn’t connect with any of the gates, not only would I not consider them disqualified, I would actually use a special privilege on behalf of the Goddess to let them skip the rest of the trials and go straight to the final selection. But… I wouldn’t get your hopes up about that happening.”
“Alright, we’re short on time. Now, please go one by one in order and choose your gate.”
As if she suddenly remembered something, the pink-gold-haired girl quickly added:
“Oh, and one more important thing, among the six paths, Asura, Ghost, and Beasts are more dangerous than the others. Inside those gates, you might face threats that could even cost your life. I and the Holy Healing Order team will be waiting outside to support you as best we can. But if you die inside the trial, there’s nothing we can do.”
“So if you feel like it’s too much, don’t force yourself. It’s better to give up and stay alive… That’s all I have to say.”